Dark Horse
by Crow v2
Summary: For most people, there exists a fine line between humanity and savagery. Cole has no such boundaries. Written for the Tales of Haven RWBY forum, all characters belong to their respective owners.
1. 1 When it Rains

**A/N: Hello everyone! Wow. It's been literal years since I've written for this site proper, and the sight of my own Author's Note is making me giddy for some reason. Anywhoo. Cole is an original character, largely inspired by Blake Belladonna and characters like Sly Cooper and Nathan Drake. I loved the idea of a resistance like the White Fang, but was massively disappointed in what I expected vs what I got out of Adam Taurus come Volume 4. With that in mind, I will be as faithful to the source material as possible, but Kerry and Miles haven't left much to work with, so I will be taking measured liberties with the names of locations, descriptions, events, and people, combined with research to create the most accurate portrayal of the RWBYverse I can.**

 **While the descriptions and names of certain characters and places are mine alone, I do not own RWBY, nor many of the OCs that will be featured in upcoming chapters.**

 **If you read all this, great. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.**

 **-Crow**

* * *

The rain always came at the first sign of tragedy. Dark clouds hung overhead as thick, wet drops pattered against the tin roof of Cole's tiny shack- his alone now, something that was taking the twelve-year-old Faunus an eternity to process even as the stranger stood nervously by the table, his faded yellow helmet gripped tightly in his calloused hands. Vykter Welsh was a Faunus, a miner, and a friend of Cole's parents, and had been working for the Schnee Dust Company for nearly four years. Like many in his position, he slaved away in pitiful, often dangerous conditions all the time, mining raw Dust crystals from the caves in Menagerie to be refined and sold back in the kingdoms, and like all the rest, he lived in constant fear of the day something like this would happen. It would be hard enough with his own children, but with Yassen and Fiona's son?

"Did ye hear me, son?" the Faunus said, then winced at his poor choice of words. "S-sorry kid, I didn't-"

"What now?" Cole asked suddenly, cutting off Vykter's hasty apology. Perplexed, the old panther regarded the boy sitting in front of him apprehensively. In all honesty, he hadn't expected this reaction from Cole, and was unsure if he was taking it well. The young Faunus's gaze disappeared out the window, his cheek pressed against the cold glass, which fogged over with every breath. Tendrils of frost snaked along the window pane, creating a myriad of lines that crisscrossed the surface. Cole wished he could squeeze between the spaces of those lines, hide himself amongst the sleet and ice, away from Vykter, away from the world, where he could patiently wait for his parents to come home.

But they wouldn't be coming home. Vykter's words echoed in Cole's ears; there had been an accident in the mine. A slew of faulty support beams had failed, causing one of the tunnels to collapse. Nearly 20 workers were missing or dead, with Cole's parents unfortunately confirmed among the latter.

And that was it. Cole didn't have any family in Menagerie- at least, none that his parents ever spoke of. They were poor, as were so many other Faunus, and Cole wasn't even sure how this man had found their house. Hundreds of thoughts bounced around his brain with no rhyme or reason, so he decided to focus on this instead, tracing more lines in the window with the pad of his finger while the older Faunus was left struggling to give him an answer.

Vykter sighed inwardly. What was he supposed to tell the boy? He knew no words of his could quell the pain Cole was feeling, yet he was hesitant to just leave, all too aware that if he were to turn his back on Cole now, who else would care? Yassen Smoak had been a good friend, and a good man. Ever the bleeding heart, he always saw the best in people, and would give the shirt off his back to someone he suspected needed it more, even when his own pockets were empty. Fiona was the complete opposite of her mate, always brooding, calculating and paranoid, but they complemented each other nicely, and in Vykter's mind they had been destined for success the moment he met them.

Closing his eyes as if the darkness could somehow block out the now-painful memories, the old miner shook his head. They deserved better than this. Those damn SDC contractors. Always trying to cut costs... Deep down, Vykter knew that had it been anywhere but Menagerie, anywhere with normal, "human" workers, there would be an uproar. Families would plead for justice, citizens would boycott businesses, employees would go on strike, or even quit. Nobody would stand for this.

But here? Menagerie was so far away from anyone who cared that the Schnee Dust Company could sweep virtually anything under the rug and call it an accident- including the bodies of a young raccoon's parents.

To his own surprise, Vykter crossed the confined space of the shack, his heavy workboots leaving wet tracks across the floorboards, and sunk into a chair across from Cole, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "What do ye want to do?" he asked tentatively, eyeing the boy closely. As much as he wanted to walk out the door and down the winding dirt road and find a drink with his name on it at the village inn, he couldn't bear to leave Yassen's son with nothing. The least he could do was try to grant Cole a wish. Vykter was not a rich man, but for the sake of his friend, and good karma, he wanted to help Cole.

The young Faunus didn't answer immediately. He wanted to do a lot of things. He wanted to bury his face in his pillow and sob. He wanted to yell, to scream, to blame someone for this horrible mistake and then make them fix it. He wanted to see his parents, more than anything. His lower lip quivered as he turned his gaze toward Vykter, the first sign of emotion he'd shown since receiving the news. For a moment, the older man's heart ached for the boy; no matter what happened next, his whole life was going to change.

"I have school in the morning," Cole said numbly. "I want to go to school."

Vykter was dumbfounded. He knew Cole must have meant the children's school in Kyonn, which would be about an hour's journey on foot, through the forest. The miner glanced dubiously at Cole, wondering if the boy had begun to lose his mind. It was entirely plausible that Cole was simply rejecting reality, unwilling or unable to accept the death of his parents.

"You... wanna go to school?" Vykter echoed, hoping that Cole had misspoken and would instead ask for something more... reasonable? The miner paused, a crease forming in his leathery brow. Was it reasonable to ask him to do anything else?

Cole pondered his choices even as a yawn rippled through his body, beginning somewhere as a burning sensation in his nose and ending in the tip of his bushy ringed tail. Too many emotions had assaulted his adolescent brain for one day; sleep tugged at his eyelids, and now he wanted the strange man to leave. Cole hadn't even bothered to remember his name.

"Yes," he said slowly, avoiding any hesitation in his voice. He wasn't crazy, he was a child, and he needed time to think. "We're learning about Anima tomorrow." Of course, Cole didn't actually care about school. He never got along with other children anyway, and often spent his time figuring out the best ways to get away with doing as little as possible while still being left alone. But at least there, he wasn't _here,_ so close to everything that reminded him of _them_.

Vykter was at a loss. It wasn't right to just leave Cole be and let him continue like this, but what could he do? Silently, he cursed his own race. If Cole had been born a human, in one of the kingdoms, there would be boarding schools and even some combat schools willing to take him in. Or, if the humans hadn't veritably confined many of the Faunus to Menagerie in the first place, maybe his birth wouldn't matter.

The awkward truth was, Menagerie was a crowded continent that just didn't have the resources to accomodate unfortunates like Cole. Even in Kuo Kuana, the capital of Menagerie, Vykter would be hard-pressed to find someone willing to help Cole, with many families already bundled together or living just above poverty. As much as he hated to think it, right now, the boy was nothing but a burden many would rather leave alone.

It had gotten considerably darker since Vykter had arrived. Gone were the long shadows stretched by the fading sun, washed into darkness as silvery moonlight cascaded over the the treetops, casting ominous shapes into the fog. Vykter had been so wrapped up in the moment that he'd forgotten to close the door, and now a cool breeze wafted into the little shack, worming its icy fingers through his thick SDC jacket and into his spine. He was unsettled just being there, and he could only imagine how Cole would feel once he left.

It couldn't be helped. Vykter pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, smudging Dust into his skin, before dragging his hand down his face and scratching the thick stubble under his chin. "Okay," he said finally, and Cole sat up straighter, causing the miner to emit a hollow chuckle. _We really are animals,_ he thought mirthlessly. "Of course, ye can go to school. But... not here. Not anymore." Cole's brow knitted together, and Vykter rushed to explain himself.

"Kid, this is gonna sound rough, but believe me, it's th' best I can do fer ye. I can't leave ye here by yerself," he said, gesturing to the nearly-empty shell of Cole's home. Aside from a little wood stove, an old table, and some rickety chairs, his family didn't have much in the way of furniture, or belongings for that matter. Nothing Cole would miss, hopefully.

Cole glanced around the interior of the shack, pale blue eyes scanning the darkness. The scent of dust and loamy soil permeated his sensitive nose. "Ye can stay with me 'n mine fer tonight, but tomorrow..." Vykter wrung his hands together as his gaze became unfocused, unsure of how exactly to say what he'd decided. The young Faunus stared expectantly at Vykter, curiosity and dread bubbling in his gut. He knew what the older man was going to say before the words even left his lips.

"I think it would be best if we sent ye to one of the kingdoms," the miner said finally, pressing on before Cole could protest. "Schools there are a bit different. Ye live there most of th' year, but I think in yer case they otta let ye stay longer." _I hope,_ he thought worriedly.

"Where would I go?" Cole asked as a slew of questions filled in his chest, ready to spill out and overwhelm Vykter, who held up a hand to cut him off. "Mistral," he said, racking his brain to figure out just how he was going to pull this off. "But how?" Cole persisted anxiously. "I don't have any money."

"Me neither," Vykter admitted, figuring it would do Cole no good were he to lie. It would cost quite a bit to simply pack Cole onto a ship and send him to Anima, and even if he were to arrive safely, he was still without money, family, or any sense of direction. Nevertheless, Vykter leaned forward and placed a heavy hand on the boy's shoulder, steely gray eyes meeting icy blue. "Let me worry about that," he said seriously. "I'll get ye to Mistral."

He decided to ignore all the obvious issues with his plan, for now. After all, once Cole made it, the problems would be both figuratively and literally out of his hands. The prospect was tantalizing, and only served to further motivate Vykter along.

Cole, on the other hand, was at a crossroads. It was a lot for him to process, and with what little knowledge he had of Anima, the uncertainty and fatigue gnawed at his consciousness until he yawned again, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "Okay," the young Faunus mumbled, just wanting the day to be over.

Vykter seized his chance and stood up, joints screaming in protest, and placed his helmet back on top of his greasy hair. He couldn't stand to be there another minute. "Then it's settled," he grunted, offering a hand to the boy. "Come on, kid. We've got a bit of a walk. Good thing th' rain stopped, eh?"

Cole sat where he was, staring dismally at Vykter's rough digits with indecision in his eyes. Now that it was time to go, he felt rooted to the chair, afraid to leave. If he was going to Mistral, what would happen to his house? He swept his gaze around the gloomy shack for what felt like the umpteenth time, as if this time he would notice something that would give him an excuse to stay. He saw one of his father's work jackets, identical to Vykter's, hanging next to the door, faded SDC logo peeling away from the aged leather. Cole didn't even have to touch it to know it was thick with the aroma of sweat and Dust.

Breathing deeply, he rose to his feet, raked his fingers through his tail and took Vykter's hand. For some reason, this was the moment his resolve chose to crumble, and Cole's chin quivered uncontrollably as he suddenly begun to feel very small, and utterly helpless.

"I wish they were here," the young Faunus said mournfully, breath hitching as a tingling sensation settled in his heart, pulsing like a livewire. It wasn't painful, so Cole didn't understand why tears stung at his eyes, threatening to betray him as he quickly wiped the moisture away with the back of one frayed sleeve. Embarrassed, Vykter looked away from the disconsolate boy now under his care and sighed, leading him towards the door. Although he didn't know it at the time, Vykter would eventually lament over this memory on many a drunken evening, feverently wishing over and over again that he'd never made the trek through the forest that night to meet the boy who would ruin his life forever.

"Me too, kid," the old miner breathed to himself as the pair stepped out into the night, each as unsure of the future as the other. "Me too."


	2. 2 Exodus, Part 1

The forest village of Kyonn was, at first glance, rather unassuming. Sitting center on a small island in the westernmost corner of Menagerie, derelict wooden huts, cobbled together from felled trees and scrap metal, were placed haphazardly in a small clearing, with many of the more central homes doubling as workstations. Almost all of the Faunus that lived in Kyonn were miners, which would make Vykter's job much harder. As the two made their way down the dirt path towards the village, the older Faunus ran through the plan in his head multiple times, each time less certain that he'd be able to pull it off. He needed to find a boat, take Cole to the mainland, _somehow_ get him to Kuo Kuana, and from there _somehow_ put him on a larger ship bound for Anima.

Vykter's mouth became a grim slash of apprehension as he trudged through the trees, eyes warily scanning the darkness with each step. Getting Cole to Anima would probably be the easiest part, since the ships would have their own defense systems as well as armed crewmen or passengers, and the journey wouldn't be too long from Port Menagerie in Kuo Kuana- two days by sea at most.

 _Getting_ to Kuo Kuana was going to be difficult. Big as he was, muscular and solid from years of hard labor, Vykter was a bit long in the tooth for something like this, and while the forest around the village and the more populated areas of Menagerie would be relatively safe, the western peninsula where they would be landing once they left the island would be crawling with the creatures of Grimm. Even with superior nightvision, a trait all Faunus shared thanks to their human/animal hybrid DNA, Vykter would be hard-pressed to find them in the dark, when they were at their most powerful no less.

In his current state, Cole was definitely not helping, either. Understandably wracked with grief and confusion, the young raccoon would be like a magnet for the Grimm, who were drawn to negative emotions. He hadn't unlocked his Aura yet, and even if he had, without Vykter to protect him, he wouldn't survive the night, nor the journey to the mainland.

Cole kept his eyes on Vykter, focusing on the white SDC logo bouncing in his vision instead of the trees. Darkness encompassed him on all sides, squeezing the air out of his lungs, which forced him to pant as he jogged to keep up with the older Faunus, grasping his hand tightly so as not to be left behind.

After what felt like an eternity, the forest suddenly broke into a clearing with a handful of wooden huts strewn casually about, their windows aglow with soft orange candlelight, which flickered as villagers passed back and forth within their walls. Vykter let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding; they'd made it to the village. Kyonn was cozy, with a population of less than forty, half of which could serve as an unofficial militia should the need arise. A few were always assigned guard duty from sundown to sunup, armed with whatever weapons they could find as they patrolled Kyonn's torchlit streets.

One of these guards approached Vykter as he emerged from the clearing and leveled his shotgun at the other Faunus, causing Cole to freeze in his tracks. "Stop," the guard began, but Vykter held up his hand, not unkindly yanking Cole forward with a yelp. "It's me, Beaver," he said quickly, only pausing for the recognition in the shorter man's eyes before jerking the gun out of his hands. If the two hadn't been old friends, Vykter would almost certainly have a fist-sized hole in his chest by now. "I need yer help- and yer gun."

Beaver swiftly moved to block Vykter's path, snatching the shotgun back. "Not this one," he said firmly, noticing Cole a moment later. The beaver Faunus, for of course, that's what he was, raised one bushy eyebrow at Vykter, who shook his head. "Later," the miner grunted, proceeding down the street with Cole and Beaver in tow. "Right now, I have t' find a boat. Ye think ole Columbus still has that runabout moored at the quay?"

"He's obsessed with that damn boat," Beaver chuckled, turning on his heel and leading the trio down a side street. Only two houses sat at the end of the road, and Beaver made for the leftmost one, fishing a rusted key from a leather thong around his neck. "You're not gonna get it from him, Vyk," he said, tucking his shotgun under one arm as he unlocked the door and stepped inside, hanging up his coat. "That man'll shoot you dead just for asking."

Vykter grunted once, urging Cole inside before locking the door behind them. Beaver's house was more comfortable in that description than Cole's, with multiple rooms and actual furniture, all constructed by Beaver himself. A small pile of shoes sat by the door, overlooked by Beaver's work boots and his mining helmet, both speckled with a multicolored sheen of Dust. "Good thing I ain't askin'," the old panther muttered, following Beaver into the kitchen and taking a seat at the table, bare except for a single candle smoldering in a small clay dish. Dark shadows danced along the walls as Cole stood rooted to the doorway, clutching his trembling tail between small fingers.

Beaver scoffed and ducked into a side room, the sounds of rummaging and soft swears accompanying his disappearance. Vykter shot Cole a pointed stare. "Siddown kid," he grunted, and the younger Faunus jumped to do so, his shoes dangling an inch above the floorboards. Vykter grimaced. Cole had done a good job of holding together so far, all things considered, and the miner fervently hoped he wouldn't break down anytime soon.

Beaver returned moments later with a platinum handgun and a single magazine, taking a seat across from Vykter. "This is all I can spare," he said apologetically, setting the incomplete weapon between them. Vykter leaned forward and checked the clip before sliding the cool piece of metal into the magazine well; seven red Dust bullets winked at him from a slit in the spine. He chewed the corner of his mustache for a moment before cocking back the slide, coaxing a satisfying _chi-chink_ out of the weapon. It wasn't enough, not nearly, but if it was all he had, then it would have to work.

"Now will you tell me why you need my son's pistol?" Beaver inquired, his gaze sliding over to Cole. "And is that-"

"Yassen's boy," Vykter said quietly, tucking the handgun into the waistband of his dusty work jeans. Beaver bowed his head in a moment of shared silence; like Vykter, he had worked in the mines alongside Yassen and Fiona, and had known them well, though he'd never met their son before. Had he been working today, he realized, he might have shared their fate. The Faunus turned to face Cole and now that he could see him properly, his gaze softened. Cole looked just like his father, but his eyes were definitely Fiona's.

"I'm sorry about your folks," Beaver said to Cole in a heavy voice. "Good people. Tore me up inside." To his credit, the young raccoon didn't respond, merely stared up at Beaver with those cynical, piercing blue orbs. _Just like Fiona,_ Beaver thought sadly.

He shot a sideways glance at Vykter from across the table. In the dying candlelight, his face appeared gaunt. "So what's your plan, old man?" Though Beaver was only a few years younger, he often enjoyed poking fun at the aging panther, much to the latter's chagrin. Vykter harrumphed noisily, glaring at Beaver through slitted eyes. "First thing's first, I'm gonna take that runabout to th' mainland," he said, "get the boy on a ship bound fer Anima. He ain't got no more family here, so I figger one o' them fancy Mistral schools could take him in."

Beaver nodded along silently, tapping the surface of the table with one dirty fingernail. "You realize this sounds like a good way to get yourself killed, right?" he asked, running a hand through his scruffy brown hair. "I know you ain't got the Lien to front for a ticket, much less two- and what about your daughter?" He leaned back against his rounded, scaled tail and crossed his arms with a _tsk._ "You got any idea what you're doing?" Vykter sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Gimme a break, Beav. This is th' best I could come up with. I wasn't about te leave the poor kid fer the Grimm, but who here would take him in? You?"

"Damn," Beaver grimaced, making a sign over his heart to ward off evil. "Not another one." The two old friends shared a quiet chuckle before the weight of the situation finally settled in, anxiety flooding Vykter's joints with the pain and stiffness of apprehension and age.

The three sat in silence a while longer, brooding over the events of the last 24 hours, and dreading what was to come. Though he hadn't said it aloud, Beaver had already made up his mind to help Vykter, his sense of kinship toward the Smoaks tugging at him each time he cast another furtive glance at the youngest of them. Cole remained wordless as ever as he sat clutching his knees to his chest, rocking back and forth to keep himself awake. He was exhausted, both emotionally and physically, but fear and excitement surged through his veins like caffeine, forcing him into a state of hyper-awareness.

It was only this awareness that allowed him to hear the sound before either of the other Faunus, and moments later, he wished he hadn't. A faint scream cut through the night, causing Cole to shrink into a ball. Vykter's eyes met Beaver's just as the scream was silenced, followed up by three sharp _crack_ s. "Grimm," they said simultaneously, jumping to their feet. Their fears were confirmed by a loud, guttural roar that caused the hair on the back of their necks to stand on end.

"Shit," Vykter swore as Beaver picked up his shotgun, checking the chamber. "Why now? Why would they come this fast?"

"It's the three of us," Beaver grunted as another series of gunshots rang through the night, accompanied by more screaming. "Our grief brought them here. We gotta draw them away from the village!"

"Dad?" a young voice called out, and for a moment, Vykter's eyes searched for Cole, but the younger Faunus had hid under the table. The voice had come from a slightly older boy standing in the doorway of the kitchen, hastily dressed in pajamas, hair still tousled from sleep. His eyes were wild with fear, however, and his entire body trembled violently. "Horace, get your mother and hide in the upstairs closet!" Beaver yelled, waving towards the door. "Vyk, time to go!"

Vykter reached under the table and pulled Cole out by his bushy tail, veritably dragging the poor boy out of the house. Outside, an orchestra of sound lit up the night as panicked, angry voices and bone-chilling roars intermingled with the odd rattle of gunfire. Vykter watched as an Ursa cut down one of the village guards with a single swipe, its heavy raked claws tearing through flesh and bone. The Faunus, skin covered in emerald scales, didn't even have time to cry out before his body sank lifelessly to the floor. The smell of smoke and Dust invaded their nostrils, overlaid by a scent both men were far too familiar with- the sickening, pungent aroma of death. It hardened Vykter's resolve as he led Cole and Beaver past the bodies of fallen villagers, each once like a cinderblock crushing his heart with every step. To lose anyone was to lose too many, but the old panther feared if they didn't get the Grimm out of Kyonn soon, then the village would have no one left to lose.

"Vyk!" Beaver's voice cut through the clamor and Vykter spun around just in time to see his friend jam the stock of his shotgun in a Beowulf's mouth, forcing the snarling Grimm back with shaky arms. Cole balked, frozen in place even as the monster thrashed about, grinding its teeth against the cold steel over and over again in a flurry of limbs and claws. Vykter pulled back a fist and slugged the Beowulf across its lower jaw with a grunt, freeing Beaver's weapon. Moments later, an earsplitting _BOOM_ went off inches from Cole's head and the Beowulf fell like a sack of potatoes, missing much of its face.

Moonlight cascaded across the shadowy remains of the slain Grimm even as its body disintegrated before Cole's eyes, illuminating the Beowulf's final moments. Even in death, its gaze was seared into the youngest of the trio of Faunus, crimson glare branded into Cole's memory for as long as he would remember. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he shuddered, clinging tighter to his protector's hand as Beaver took the lead, using his large scaled tail to swat aside another, albeit smaller Beowulf. "This is a nightmare," he said gravely, unaware of just how true his words were about to become.

All too quickly, the three had made their way to Vykter's house. The old panther's heart sunk in his chest as he leaped onto the porch with renewed vigor, his front door already smashed off the hinges. "No," he mumbled, throwing caution to the wind and rushing inside. "Yvonne! Kara!" Beaver's hand shot out and caught Cole's shoulder moments before the youngest Faunus followed, shaking his head tightly. "You don't wanna see this, kid," he said quietly, turning on his heel and coaxing a metallix _chock-chock_ out of his weapon as he loaded another Dust shell into the chamber, standing vigil over his friend's house while the rest of Kyonn was slowly overwhelmed by the creatures of Grimm.

 _Damn,_ he thought sadly as a single, anguished cry tore through the night, forcing Cole to cover his ears.

 _I'm sorry, Vyk._


End file.
